1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to technology for generating digital content output. In particular, the invention relates to technology for removing overlap of digital content generally set out on a layout to create digital content having good visibility.
2. Related Art
There are digital content distribution systems which provide users with digital content such as news, etc. Digital content distribution systems commonly employ content registration databases (“database” will be hereinafter referred to as DB) which stores content. In one known kind of digital content distribution system, one or a plurality of sets of digital content provided by a content registration DB is read, edited, and provided to users. When editing digital content, the content is laid out in such a way as to be easily viewed by a user. Such a layout can be achieved, for example, by providing plural information frames within a layout region, and including in such frames digital content (information) such as text or images.
However, in using such frames, if plural digital content sets are laid out such that they overlap, the result is unattractive to a user and may be difficult to view. Therefore when editing, it is necessary to avoid such overlap. For example, JP-A-2004-046858 discloses a technique for removing overlap of digital content. In this related art, if two sets of digital content overlap, a technique is employed whereby one set of digital content is moved in a predetermined direction by a minimum distance necessary to resolve the overlap.
However, the technique disclosed in the related art mentioned above suffers from a problem in that overlap of digital content cannot be resolved in a case that it is not possible to move overlapping content in a predetermined direction, as is the case when another set of digital content already exists in the path of the predetermined direction of the data to be moved.